


Secret Santas & Stairwells

by secretsofthesky



Category: Riverdale (TV 2017)
Genre: Christmas party shenanigans, Coworkers - Freeform, F/M, Fluff, More Fluff, bughead secret santa gift, secret santa games
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-31
Updated: 2019-12-31
Packaged: 2021-02-27 08:54:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,578
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22044412
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/secretsofthesky/pseuds/secretsofthesky
Summary: Betty accidentally gives her Secret Santa the slightly x-rated gag gift she had bought for someone else.
Relationships: Betty Cooper/Jughead Jones
Comments: 25
Kudos: 202
Collections: Bughead Secret Santa, Home for the HoliDale





	Secret Santas & Stairwells

**Author's Note:**

  * For [AvaRosier](https://archiveofourown.org/users/AvaRosier/gifts).



> Merry Christmas from your Bughead Secret Santa Lilibetts/AvaRosier!

**-**

**Christmas Eve: 6:05PM**

**-**

Betty sucked in a deep breath, plopped down hard onto her suitcase, and used all the strength she could muster to tug it the rest of the way closed, praying the zipper didn’t snap from the overflowing contents in the process. “I am  _ not _ above just closing it with duct tape if it does,” she growled to herself. 

Orange fur rubbed against her leg.

“I know, right? Imagine the field day TSA would have with that one. I would most likely miss my flight,  _ and have a legit reason why _ , and then be able to stay here with you for Christmas and far away from my mother.”

A meow was her reply and she smiled, then sighed in relief and fell back onto her bed when the zipper budged and slid shut. 

“Finally,” she breathed, letting her head relax and fall to the side. Then immediately jumped back up when she realized the time. “Crap, I’m going to be late to the office party.” 

Racing into her closet, she grabbed the red lace-sleeved holiday dress she had picked out for the occasion and quickly threw it on, only pausing momentarily to fight with yet another zipper, before sliding into her matching red pumps. 

“How do I look?” She asked Caramel, doing a quick spin, and the cat purred in response. 

Smiling, she bent down to give her a quick pat on the head before grabbing her purse and jogging to the door. “Damn,” she turned, heading back to the living room quickly. “I almost forgot my secret Santa gift. That would have been-” she paused when she glanced down at the two identical gifts that sat before her. “-not good.”

Both were books. Both were the same size. Both were wrapped in the same red wrapping paper and tied with a perfect white ribbon and bow. 

...and neither had a tag on them. 

Cursing, she ran a hand through her hair, pulling at the roots. “How could I forget to tag them?!” 

Fighting away the urge to whine in self-pity, she picked up both books and weighed them in her hands, examining the size and feel. She had no time to unwrap them and then rewrap them without being even later, and even if she did - she was out of wrapping paper. 

Going with her gut, she kept the one in her left hand and waved it triumphantly even as she felt on the verge of a panic attack. “I think this is it. What do you think?”

Another meow echoed through the apartment. 

Nerves began to fill her at her choice. It would definitely be bad if she accidentally brought the wrong present for her coworker seeing as though one of the books was the first edition of a novel she knew he loved and the other was a book that was… well, something  _ very  _ different.

Glancing at the clock again, she decided to just go with it and pray for the best. 

It was definitely the right book. 

Definitely. 

Hopefully. 

Please God let her have grabbed the right gift. 

**-**

**Christmas Eve: 8:17PM**

**-**

She had grabbed the wrong gift. 

She had grabbed the wrong  _ freaking _ gift. 

_ It doesn’t get much worse than this _ , Betty thought to herself as she walked into the empty stairwell and let the door shut heavily behind her, drowning out the sound of Christmas music and the obnoxious laughter of her coworkers - most of who were already shitfaced.

“And of course I can’t drink on the night when I need one the most because I have to be able to drive home and get up at 3am to catch my flight.”

Pacing back and forth, she tried to calm her breathing. 

She had told herself she had grabbed the right gift so many times on the car ride to the office that she had truly believed that she had and had forgotten all about it. Of course, when her eyes found Jughead as he slowly opened the gift from his secret Santa, and she watched his lips part in shock, it all came slamming back to her and she knew she most definitely had _ not  _ grabbed the right one. 

She had held her breath, waiting for him to wave it around and ask who it was from, but instead - much to her relief - he had slid it back into the wrapping paper and tucked it under his arm. When his eyes began to move around the room, searching for the gifter, she had quickly looked away and prayed her flaming cheeks did not give her away. 

The book had been meant for Veronica - a gag gift since her friend had been complaining about her and Archie's lacking sex life nonstop since having their son - a detailed, illustrated guide that touched on the Kama Sutra and tantric sex. With tag lines promising an amazing sex life after reading and a cover showing a - _ somewhat tasteful  _ \- image of a man with his head between a woman's legs, she thought it would be a funny, yet sensible, gift. 

Yet now, her gag gift idea had gone wrong. So  _ terribly _ wrong. 

“I could just leave,” she whispered to herself. “No need to stay while everyone goes around guessing who got them. I mean, I’ll miss out on Mr. Clemen's big speech which then leads to him handing out Christmas bonuses - the bonus I know I  _ definitely _ need - but hey, I can live on ramen for a few weeks, right? And by the time I’m back to work the day after New Years everyone will probably have forgotten all about it.”

Nodding to herself, she moved to exit the stairwell and grab her coat to leave but was stopped when the door flung open revealing the one person she was wanting to avoid. 

His presence instantly surrounded her just as it always did, causing her already racing her heart to beat even faster. The smell of his cologne consumed her and she closed her eyes as her skin warmed. 

“Oh hey,” he greeted, quickly shutting the door behind him and shoving his hands into his pockets. His blue eyes found her and seemed to sparkle even under the dim lighting. “Didn’t know anyone else would be hiding here. If I hear one more version of  _ Santa Baby _ I’m going to riot.”

Betty laughed, though her nerves made the sound jittery. “Well I don’t think Cheryl has stolen the mic from the DJ and blessed us all with her version yet so there’s at least  _ one  _ more.” 

Jughead groaned, leaning his head back against the concrete and Betty took the moment to take in the way his casual sweater hugged his arms and how his jeans hung perfectly on his hips. Flames licked at her skin as she imagined reaching out and tugging on his belt loops and bringing his body flush to hers. 

Yeah, she was an idiot with a crush on her off-limits coworker. 

The same coworker she’d just gifted a book of sex to for Christmas. 

Oy vey. 

“I’d forgotten about her little tradition.” his deep voice brought her back to reality, causing her eyes to flash up to his as he brought a hand up to tug at his hair. “Speaking of tradition, that was some secret Santa exchange, huh?”

Betty’s face paled. “Uh, what? What do you mean? It seemed normal to me.” _ Great job acting cool, Betty. _ Man, she wished she had a drink. She’d be chugging it right now. 

“Yeah, just…” he stopped, chuckling to himself as he glanced back at the party. “I just can’t figure out who got me. My gift was… definitely  _ something. _ ”

“Oh?” Betty asked, praying her voice didn’t betray her anxiety as she looked down at her dress and began to pick at invisible lint. 

“Yeah.” Jughead chuckled again to himself. “Who did you-”

“Annie!” Betty cut him off, a little too enthusiastically. She cleared her throat before continuing. “Sorry, yeah, I got Annie.” 

Jughead narrowed his eyes for a moment, one eyebrow quirking in question. “Nice. What’d you get her?” 

She could feel his eyes on her and hoped her poker face was as good as Veronica claimed it was. “Oh you know - wine, bath bombs, girl stuff.” 

Jughead nodded slowly and the way his eyes moved over her face, she had a feeling he didn’t fully believe her. Thankfully, he didn’t call her on it though. 

“So, wanna go brave our co-workers together? We can be each other's wingmen if someone drunkenly tries to corner us under the excessive amounts of mistletoe.”

Betty sent him a grateful smile. “I just have to make a phone call real quick,” she lied. 

“Oh I’m sorry, I thought you were just escaping the party like me. I didn’t mean to interrupt.” He held his hands up, backing towards the door. 

“You’re fine,” she told him. “I’ll see you in there for operation mistle- _ no _ .” 

Jughead snorted and send her a wink. “Sounds good.” He moved to leave but then popped his head back into the stairwell and let his eyes move over her in a way that had her knees going weak. “By the way, you look amazing.” 

And with that parting line, he was gone.

Betty cursed, plopping down onto the stairs. 

Well, there went her plan to leave early. 

And even worse, instead of steering clear of him she had agreed to do the complete opposite. 

Great. 

She really needed that drink.

**-**

**Christmas Eve 9:10PM**

**-**

Betty snorted out a laugh as she watched Jughead reach up to grab the mistletoe above his desk and stuff it into his jeans pocket as quickly as he could. 

By the time he walked back over to her, she was in a full fit of laughter. 

The past hour, with both of them being the only two people there that were sober and consequently bored out of their minds, had been spent sneaking the multiple bundles of mistletoe Cheryl had strung up around the office and putting them into places people would least expect. 

Which had led to Betty sticking one above his desk when he had left to go to the bathroom, and then sending Miriam - their very elderly secretary with a fondness for him - over his way. 

He had escaped with only a kiss on the cheek, but the pinch she had given him - in a spot that would have HR going nuts - is what had her falling into a fit of laughter. 

“Very funny, Betts.” His eyes were narrowed, but his barely restrained smile gave away his own amusement. 

“I am so happy I ended up staying,” Betty breathed after the laughter subsided. 

Jughead turned to her. “You were going to leave?”

“Yeah, I didn’t want to stay and -” she trailed off, momentarily forgetting the reason she had wanted to escape was leaning against the wall right next to her. 

“And what?”

“Nothing,” she waved a hand, the feeling of his eyes on her causing heat to crawl up her neck. “I just wasn’t really feeling the party.”

“I see,” Jughead said, turning back to face the party. “I thought maybe you didn’t want a certain someone to find out you were their secret Santa.” 

Betty nearly choked on the punch she had been sipping. Her wide eyes turned to him to find him still facing the party, but the corner of his lips was lifted in a smirk.

And it hit her. This whole time, he  _ knew _ . 

Her mouth was suddenly dry. “How did you…”

He turned his head then to face her, his eyes impossibly darker than they had been a few minutes prior. “Annie didn’t get wine and bath bombs and girly stuff. She got tickets to broadway - from  _ me _ .”

“I-” she started, but didn’t know what to say. Couldn’t think with the way his eyes seemed to be burning into her. “I didn’t-” 

When words failed her, she did the only other thing she could think of and quickly turned and walked away. 

She was halfway down a flight of stairs - refusing to wait for the elevator - when he caught her. 

“Hey, don’t be embarrassed.” 

Betty spun to face him. “I’m not.” she told him, crossing her arms over her chest before bowing her head. “Okay, I am. That was meant for my friend. I had gotten you a book - a  _ different _ book - and wrapped them both and forgot to put tags on them.” 

Jughead chuckled lightly. “I figured.” He looked down at his shoes for a moment before lifting his eyes to meet hers again. “Though I’m not gonna lie - I also kinda hoped maybe it wasn’t an accident. That maybe it was your way of making a move.” 

Betty’s mouth opened and then closed. Once, twice, before words managed to come. “You hoped I was making a move?” 

His eyes didn’t leave hers as he nodded and slowly brought his tongue out to moisten his bottom lip, instantly drawing her eyes to it. “I hoped you were - seeing as though I’ve been talking myself out of doing so for the past two years knowing it would be putting out jobs at risk.” He shrugged, chuckling. “And, you know, also out of fear of getting turned down.”

Betty’s eyes widened. “I would-” she drew in a shaky breath “- I would never have turned you down. I never would.”

His smile then had her stomach flipping. “Yeah?”

A chuckle of her own slipped through her lips as they mimicked his own. “Yeah.” 

Jughead rocked on his heels, glancing at the door that led to their floor. “You’re leaving then?”

“I have an early flight. I’m going home for Christmas.” And she hadn’t regretted that fact more than she did in that moment. 

“I see.” He took a step closer. “When do you get back?”

Her heart skipped a beat. “My flight comes in on New Year's Eve.”

“Any plans?” His voice was just a whisper, sliding over her skin and leaving goosebumps in its wake.

“Not as of yet. Just staying home with my cat.” 

Jughead bit at his lip as if working up the courage for what he would say next. “Would you care for some company? I can bring some supplies, cook you dinner.”

Nothing sounded better. 

Her cheeks began to hurt from her smile. “That sounds amazing.” 

Jughead grinned as he took a step back. “Good. The week will give me plenty of time.”

Betty quirked an eyebrow. “To think of something to make? I’m quite partial to the pasta you bring for the potlucks.”

“Duly noted,” he winked as he took another step backward and climbed a few steps back towards the upper floor. “But I meant it will give me time to do some reading.” 

Betty let out a surprised laugh before her feet began to suddenly move on their own, up the stairs until she was standing one above him, bringing them eye level, their bodies nearly flush. 

She watched him swallow, his Adam's apple bobbing with the motion and then heard the sharp intake of breath as her hands moved to his chest before slowly traveling downward, over the belt of his jeans before reaching into his pocket and pulling out the mistletoe he had shoved into it earlier. 

Her eyes didn’t leave his as she raised her arm to hold it above their heads. 

“Merry Christmas, Jughead.” she whispered, before bringing her lips to his. _ Finally. _

  
_ Merry Christmas _ , indeed. 


End file.
